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The Fordyce Letter

Straight Talk for the Recruiting Profession


For Managers, The Business of Recruiting

The Globalization of Retained Executive Search

by on Jul. 29, 2011


earth by US Mission Geneva

Phileas Fogg in Jules Verne’s famous odyssey was a predecessor of today’s road warrior. Having recently completed a ‘round-the-worlder’ I could have wished for the lack of jet lag that Fogg must have enjoyed, but maybe the rigors of modern airports are nevertheless less demanding than the Indian jungles, snakes, hot air balloons, and other obstacles with which he had to grapple – or not.

There is no doubt that travel broadens the mind even though it cricks the back and dehydrates the body. But it is a pre-requisite in today’s world of business and in executive search.

I have recently had the opportunity to visit Brazil, China, India, and the Middle East on behalf of the Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC), meeting our members, listening to market experts and senior HR leaders, and talking to the press. It has been an education but also a revelation since it has brought home to me how much the world is changing, and has changed, post-Lehman (as it is referred to in Dubai).

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Jeff's On Call!

Jeff’s On Call!: Employer PSA Limitations

by on Jul. 28, 2011


law_gavel

This week’s inquiry comes from Michael Evdemon II:

Jeff,

I am a veteran recruiter for 2 ½ decades in the insurance industry. During that time, I’ve benefited tremendously from your writing, legal knowledge, and improvement of our profession.

My concern is that many of the employer PSA’s (placement service agreements) mandate that the search is only for the specific position. This cuts our effectiveness and ability to make additional placements by at least half — before we even pick up the phone or send an email.

It also undercuts what a professional search firm should be doing for a client. The recruiter is prevented from presenting highly-qualified candidates that have been determined to be an asset to the client. Why would a quality search firm be denied to inform an organization like that?

From your writing, it seems this is legal as long as the exclusion is job-related. But what can we do about it?

Thanks for your anticipated reply!

Sincerely,

Michael

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Business, Industry News

Halfway Through 2011: Is Your Glass Half-Full or Half-Empty?

by on Jul. 27, 2011


glass-half-full by vizzzual

This time of the year I like to spend some time reflecting on what the first six months of the year produced as well as listening to what other folks in my industry anticipate for the next six months. Here’s what I have come up with and I hope you find it valuable.

Hiring is back… but not in the same form

The first half of 2011 has continued to be a very busy hiring market. Almost every one I speak with has hired or is planning to hire. There has been a TON of movement in the market but, just because everyone is hiring does not mean “everyone is hiring.” The hiring that I have seen and heard about has been selective, taking longer than usual and not without hiccups. Counter offers are back, salary expectations are unreasonable again, and internal candidates are everywhere. At the same time, budgets are still very much on the forefront of most hiring managers’ agenda and still dictate many of the hiring decisions.

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Industry News, Staffing

Big Moves in the Staffing World: Randstad and Adecco Make Major Acquisitions

by on Jul. 27, 2011


RandstadSFNAdeccoDBM

Yesterday, Adecco Group, the world’s largest staffing firm, announced plans to acquire New York-based outplacement firm Drake Beam Morin Inc., a deal that cost $216 million. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2011. Adecco’s Lee Hecht Harrison outplacement division ranked as the second-largest outplacement firm on Staffing Industry Analysts’ 2010 list of largest staffing firms. Drake Beam Morin ranked as the third-largest.

This news comes just a few days after Randstad Holding NV, the world’s second-largest staffing firm, announced its plans to acquire SFN Group Inc., the world’s 13th-largest staffing firm. The combined company would be the third largest staffing firm in the U.S. — Randstad currently ranks No. 6 and SFN Group No. 7 — based on 2009 estimated U.S. staffing revenue. While the transaction must still be approved by SFN shareholders, SFN’s board has unanimously approved the deal. The deal is expected to close in September.

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Business

Recruiter Chronicles: Five years, Five Lessons — Part 1

by on Jul. 26, 2011


road by Hey Paul

In a wonderful parable called “The Station,” Robert J. Hastings said, “Regret and fear are twin thieves who would rob us of today.” While the main point of the article is understanding that life’s greatest pleasures come from the journey itself and not the destination, a secondary moral of the story is that if you live your life with a clear conscious you will have peace of mind, and anything is then possible. Hastings said, “It isn’t the burdens of today that drive men mad. Rather, it is regret over yesterday or fear of tomorrow.”

Truer words cannot be spoken about any such thing in the universe. Recognition of regret as wasted emotional energy is a simple concept to understand. Actually living without regret is something I can’t fathom. I simply make too many mistakes not to want some do-overs. However, to lift some of the burden of regret, one can learn lessons from mistakes and take strides to not let history repeat itself.

To commemorate the fifth anniversary of my career in recruiting which will pass this week, I would like to share with you, over the coming weeks, the five biggest learning lessons I’ve experienced thus far during my time at the Aureus Group. For goodness sake, please promise me you will learn from my mistakes and won’t do these things.

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Industry News, Social Media

LinkedIn Unveils New Universal Resume Apply Button

by on Jul. 25, 2011


apply with LinkedIn button

Just before lunchtime in New York City, LinkedIn announced it is offering employers a button to include on all their job postings enabling candidates to use their LinkedIn profiles to apply for the position.

This “Apply With LinkedIn” feature wraps up the candidate profile in a tidy package that feeds directly into any one of the several tracking systems it has or will partner with. No ATS? No problem. LinkedIn will email the profile to you.

This portable feature can be used on any job, anywhere, on any site, including any job board.

Five ATS providers — Peoplefluent, Jobvite, SmartRecruiters, Bullhorn, and Jobscience — turned on the automatic feature this morning. Taleo, Lumesse, and Kenexa will have it enabled in a matter of months.

However, as LinkedIn’s VP of product management, Adam Nash, explained, the company designed the “apply” feature to be used by small, as well as large employers. It’s “really trivial” for a hiring manager at even the smallest of firms to add the button to a job posting, and specify how and where the resume is to be received.

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Industry News

$100k Job Site Shifting to $40k and Up

by on Jul. 25, 2011


The_Ladders

Since launching in 2003, TheLadders has been pretty clear what it’s all about. It’s the place for jobs who pay $100,000 and up, and for candidates in that range.

No more.

Beginning in September, says TheLadders, any salaried worker on their way up is welcome.

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Industry News, Technology

ZipRecruiter Launches Free ZipSites for Recruiters

by on Jul. 22, 2011


ziprecruiter-logo

Recruiting today should encompass all possible communication methods – of course, this business is a phone business, but if you have the opportunity to take advantage of online tools and resources with minimal effort (as well as minimal investment), why not do so?

Forget social media and Internet research: one of the biggest hassles of developing an online presence starts at the very beginning – creating a company website. Particularly if you are a “solopreneur” with limited budget and manpower.

Thankfully there are some tools out there to help you do this – Top Echelon, for example, created its Hiring Hook product to help recruiters develop a job website and online tools to draw traffic to these sites. Top Echelon started off as a split placement network, then developed a recruiting software product called Big Biller, and now has website development services. This is a great service that I know many of you use.

I was recently introduced to a company called ZipRecruiter, a web-based service that enables companies to post jobs to more than 20 leading job boards with one click as well as search a growing resume database. The company today launched ZipSites, a new feature that lets recruiters create customizable websites to advertise their services and job openings.

The best part? Unlike most other similar services currently available, this particular service of ZipRecruiter is free.

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Business

Converting Industry Experience Into Recruiting – The “Credibility” Factor

by on Jul. 21, 2011


Ag1Source

Everyone knows that the recruiting business is a phone business. Without that basic communication tool, we wouldn’t be able to interface with as many people as we do. Our business is also a “sales” business. We’re constantly selling our value to our client. Crucial to the “sales process” is that we must first establish our credibility with our client. Really for all of us, the sales process begins by identifying a client with a need. That is in knowing your market or being attuned to what is going on.

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Editor's Corner, Industry News

The Push and Pull of Recruiting: Who’s in Charge Here?

by on Jul. 20, 2011


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It’s a never-ending battle. We are at opposite ends of the table from our corporate recruiting counterparts when it comes to what we want:

Us: Biggest fee for least amount of time investment (particularly for those who are strictly contingent)

Them: Most amount of effort invested by third-party recruiters for the smallest fee (hence the frequent “cattle calls” for searches)

…don’t forget the Candidates: Damn — they just want a job!

Supply and demand often dictate who is at the helm in these relationships. Everyone involved takes turns. being “in charge.” That’s why we’re all so interdependent on one another and why good relationships are so important to maintain.

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